GEM EBS · 30 Years in Public Sector and Social Housing Estates

Fire safety, delivered as one accountable programme

Since Grenfell, the fire safety duties held by local authorities and housing associations have changed substantially, and the margin for uncertainty has narrowed. GEM Environmental Building Services delivers fire risk assessment, passive fire protection and remedial works as a single, accountable programme across public sector and social housing estates, giving asset management and compliance teams a clear evidence trail from assessment through to verified completion.

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What we deliver

GEM EBS provides fire safety services across the full estate lifecycle, from initial assessment through to certified remedial delivery, within live, occupied public sector and social housing environments.

Risk Assessment & Statutory Compliance

Fire risk assessments (FRA), using structured methodology to identify hazards, evaluate existing safety measures and produce actionable, prioritised remedial plans
Fire safety management plans, including evacuation strategies and fire logbook documentation for property management teams
Life safety surveys covering escape routes, travel distances and evacuation capacity

Passive Fire Protection

Compartmentation surveys, mapping and auditing fire-rated walls, floors and ceilings
Fire stopping and penetration sealing around mechanical, electrical and plumbing services passing through fire-rated barriers
Fire door inspection and certified remediation, covering gap tolerances, self-closing function, intumescent strip integrity and hardware compliance
Cavity barrier audits within wall voids and cavities

Active Fire Protection (Mechanical & Electrical)

Fire damper testing, cleaning and certification within ventilation ductwork
Emergency lighting design, installation and testing
Fire and smoke detection system specification, zoning and integration with building management systems
Sprinkler and suppression system testing, servicing and certification

How we deliver it

GEM EBS follows a structured, five-stage delivery framework for fire safety programmes, ensuring funding, remedial work and reporting stay aligned to statutory obligations at every stage.

Consultation

Understanding estate priorities, existing fire safety documentation and duty-holder obligations, working alongside asset management and compliance teams.

Assessment

Structured fire risk assessment and passive fire protection surveys, identifying hazards and prioritising remedial action.

Remedial Delivery

Certified repair and replacement works, delivered within live, occupied buildings with minimal disruption to residents.

Verification

Post-works inspection and sign-off, confirming remedial actions meet the standard identified in the original assessment.

Reporting

Structured documentation suitable for governance, audit and the building’s golden thread of information.

Fire safety compliance since Grenfell

Fire safety obligations for public sector and social housing duty-holders have expanded significantly over the past several years, and the framework is no longer a single piece of legislation.

2005

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order

Remains the base legal duty: the “responsible person” for a building must carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and maintain adequate general fire precautions.

2021

Fire Safety Act

Confirmed this duty extends to external walls, cladding and flat entrance doors in multi-occupied residential buildings.

2022

Fire Safety (England) Regulations

Introduced further operational duties, including regular fire door checks and clearer wayfinding and evacuation information for residents.

2022Higher-risk

Building Safety Act

For higher-risk residential buildings, this introduced a substantially stricter regime, including the Building Safety Regulator, a defined Accountable Person (or Principal Accountable Person where multiple parties hold responsibility), mandatory safety case reports, occurrence reporting obligations, and the requirement to maintain a golden thread of information, a digital, auditable record of building safety information that must be kept current throughout the building’s life.

2023Housing

Social Housing (Regulation) Act

For housing associations, this compliance landscape sits alongside the Regulator of Social Housing’s consumer standards, which place safety, transparency and resident engagement at the centre of regulatory scrutiny.

GEM EBS’s role is to make these obligations deliverable: identifying what a building requires, carrying out the certified work, and producing the documentation your compliance and governance teams need to evidence it.

Why local authorities and housing associations work with GEM EBS

Single Accountable Partner

Assessment, remedial delivery and reporting managed under one accountable structure, reducing risk transfer and removing the coordination burden of managing multiple specialist contractors.

Proven at Estate Scale

30 years delivering engineering-led building services across social housing and local authority estates, including live, high-occupancy environments and complex or listed buildings.

Accredited & Governed

GEM EBS holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certification through BSI, alongside CHAS Advanced, SafeContractor SSIP and Constructionline registration. Fire-specific certification, including BAFE, FIRAS, BM TRADA, NSI and BAFSA, is held by our accredited specialist partners, each engaged under GEM EBS management and governance. Certificate details for GEM EBS and every partner firm are available on request.

Evidence-Led Reporting

Structured documentation at every stage, supporting audit readiness, governance review and the golden thread of information required for higher-risk buildings.

Leadership

Keith Harris

CEO

Over 35 years of experience in heat networks and social housing, working closely with social landlords on strategic infrastructure delivery, service delivery and long-term estate management.

Simon Green

Director

30 years of experience in sustainable energy, securing funding and driving new business growth, supporting the delivery of innovative solutions focused on efficiency and long-term performance.

JHHeadshot needed

Jay HowlettMIFSM

Fire Safety Director

Extensive experience in fire safety, compliance and reactive emergency response, including long-term experience as a LFBLondon Fire Brigade Sub Officer. He holds a NEBOSH Fire Certificate and is a member of the British Fire Services Association (BFSA). His background includes work across housing and council-related projects, with practical expertise in fire alarms, fire doors, remedial works and post-Grenfell fire safety requirements.

Start the conversation

For fire safety compliance enquiries, framework discussions or portfolio-wide assessments, contact our team directly.